I/IX\XXXVII
Witchtryals updates
Better Late Than Never
"More than three centuries after they were accused, tried
and hanged as unrepentant witches in Salem, Mass., five women
have been officially cleared by the state," Massachusetts
State Legislatures magazine reports. "The act, approved by
the legislature, cleared the names of Bridget Bishop, Susannah Martin, Alice Parker, Wilmot Redd and Margaret Scott."
The five were among 20 men and women put to death during the
witchcraft hysteria of 1692. The state has tried to make
amends before. In 1711, all the accused were exonerated and
their relatives offered retribution. But not all the families
came forward to accept the apology.
If She Collects Insurance She's a Witch
They're exonerating them in Massachusetts and prosecuting
them in Maryland. But this witch is up against it for
insurance fraud, not necromancy. Josephine Gray, 55, has
worked her way through three husbands in 27 years. All
three had been shot to death and Ms. Gray has collected
substantial insurance claims for each husband. She has
been tried in the past for her lovers' violent deaths, but
each time witnesses abruptly refused to co-operate, amid
strange tales of incantations, potions and voodoo spells.
"I do not practice witchcraft," Ms. Gray declared. "Just
because I buy lucky charms and herbs or anoint myself with
olive oil." But this time, prosecutors say they have enough
evidence to show that Ms Gray was involved in the killings,
which violates a Maryland law that specifically bans a person from receiving such benefits if they have caused the
death of the insured.
Link: Salem Witch Trials
XII/XXIV\XXXVI
The Daily Dirt - 2001 Bizarre Toy List
Ever since 1986, around this time of year, Reverend Christopher Rose of the Grace Episcopal Church in Hartford, Connecticut, has compiled a list of the ten most offensive, violent, sacrilegious, and/or Satanic toys being foisted upon the nation's children during the holiday season. Yer old pal Jerky has always been thankful for the Reverend's list, as it has served him well as an excellent guide for his own holiday shopping. It was while chortling with delight over this year's list that we here at the Daily Dirt decided to turn what had formerly been our little secret into an annual event, helping those among you who always struggle to find that perfect gift for the discriminating young maniacs in your life. And so, without further ado, we are proud to present the first annualÉ
YEAR'S MOST EVIL - AND THUS, COOLEST - X-MAS TOY IDEAS!
*** *** ***
1. Bounce n' Shake Wacky Mike, by Pixar. Like Elmo before with the tickles, this doll of the one-eyed green thing from the hit animated movie Monsters Inc. only reacts when violently shaken, jerked around and pummeled. Lucky for Mike, he is immune to the effects of Shaken Baby Syndrome. Unlucky for baby brothers and sisters everywhere, the average kid who gets a Bounce n' Shake Wacky Mike for Christmas probably hasn't got a clue what Shaken Baby Syndrome is. Recommended for the "only child" on your Christmas list.
2. Electronic Stretch Screamers, by Manley Toy Quest. The toy that dares to ask the question: "How far can you stretch your monster?" Make your werewolf scream! Squeeze your mummy and make puss come out the eye sockets! Spank your Frankenstein! Strangle your Ghoul! Come on! Harder, dammit! HARDER!!! Tailor-made for your psychopathic inner - or outer - child!
3. Resident Evil: William Birkin and Sherry set, by Palisades Toys. A mutated character from a popular, horrific Playstation game wants to implant his putrid seed in the nearest possible human host, which just happens to be his own daughter, Sherry, who is thoughtfully included in the box! This one should resonate especially well with kids living south of the Mason-Dixon line.
4. Lita versus Bubba Ray Dudley, from the Finishing Moves series of World Wrestling Federation action figures, by Jakks Pacific. Apparently, the Good Reverend doesn't appreciate the fact that Bubba Ray's tongue is hanging out of his mouth while his head is trapped between Lita's rippling, muscular thighs. Gosh! I wonder why?! While these dolls aren't a substitute for a proper, secular sex education class, they come damn close!
THE PERFECT GIFT FOR YOUR BRATTY NEPHEW!
|
5. Fisher Price Mummy King Play Set, by Mattel Toys. The namby-pamby Reverend Rose ignores the fact that this toy's name is incredibly confusing, and decides instead to concentrate on its "popping mask" and "flying fists" which he fears might "frighten" sensitive children. Somebody needs to slap this God-boy hard in the face and inform him that this happens to be the entire frigging POINT of the toy!
6. Max Steel N-Tek Adventure Pack: Explosives, by Mattel Toys. Teaches the young ones in your life to resolve differences and solve problems through the use of high grade commercial explosives... invaluable lessons they need to learn if you expect them to survive and thrive during the coming apocalypse!
7. Monsters Inc. Splatter Dome, by Hasbro. Create small, jellied creatures in a womb-like bubble, then destroy them and discard the mess. Start little Johnny or Suzie down the path towards a fulfilling career in the lucrative family planning industry. Vacuum aspirator, stirrups and autoclave sold separately.
8. Lord of the Rings Orc Overseer by ToyBiz. While true to the spirit and narrative of an acclaimed work literature, ToyBiz shot themselves in the foot when, in their own marketing materials, they described their product thusly: "Orc Overseer can whip newborn Urak Hai as he rises out of his birthing sac." Mmmm... tasty! Still, we here at the Daily Dirt recommend this toy for any kid on your list who can handle the idea of a deformed monster whipping bloody demon fetuses as they burst forth from their unholy wombs.
9. The Super Dooper Reindeer Pooper, by Midlon Foods Inc. This is basically a plastic reindeer that shits jellybeans. Reverend Rose feels that the very concept for this toy is "insensitive and offensive to Christians celebrating Christmas." Yer old pal Jerky wondersÉ does this goofball believe Jesus never took a dump?!
10. Stan Winston Creatures, by Stan Winston Creatures. With their graphic depictions of otherworldly demons, murderous psychopaths, aliens and other assorted gore-soaked mutations, these action figures are probably the coolest, most inappropriate things to hit the toy scene since Todd McFarlane brought the electric chair execution of an innocent man to your little-leaguer's trophy shelf. Jerky's Highest recommendation!
PS - Remember folks, have a GOOD TIME when you shop! It's what Christmas is all about, after all! - Jerky
XII/I\XXXVI
Fiery Pagan Ritual Leaves Young Woman Out in the Cold
ENFIELD, Connecticut - Maybe instead of a cauldron, this
aspiring witch should keep a fire extinguisher handy. Mary
Palmieri is now homeless after she allowed her pagan friends
to perform a ritual in her house to "burn her troubles away."
The witchcraft ritual involved burning a piece of paper with
Mary's problems written on it. The flames got out of control
and set fire to the house. Mary's bedroom was gutted and the
house suffered extensive smoke and water damage. Mary says
next time she will talk to her priest instead.
Americans Attack "Swastika" Pokemon
CORTLANDT, N.Y. - Nintendo will stop making a Pokemon card
featuring a reverse image of a swastika due to pressure from
the Anti-Defamation League. The manji is an ancient Asian
symbol of good fortune rooted in Buddhist culture, but the
boys in Japan failed to consider the impact a symbol so
closely resembling Nazi Germany's flag would have on American
buyers. The irony is that the original, Japanese-language
cards were not even meant for the U.S. market. Collectors
were so eager to get their hands on them, many cards were
imported without Nintendo's approval, the company said.
Wicked Words
sanguisugous \sang swi soo' ges\ (adjective): bloodthirsty.
hellkite \hel' kite\ (noun): a fierce bird of prey; an extremely cruel person
XI/XV\XXXVI
TEL AVIV, Israel - The Holy Land is credited with being the birthplace of all three monotheistic religions. But in recent years, it has become a magnet for unorthodox interpretations of scripture. That's where Rabbi David Batzri comes in. It seems that the Rabbi recently began advertising his services to a special group of sinners. He specializes in blessings designed to save obsessive masturbators from being possessed by the devil.
Wicked Words
cryptic * \KRIP-tik\ * (adjective)
1 : secret, occult; 2 a : having or seeming to have a hidden or ambiguous meaning : mysterious b : marked by an often perplexing brevity 3 : serving to conceal
Example sentence:In some old letters to her mother, my great aunt made many cryptic references to "that unfortunate day," but no one in my family seems
to know what she meant.
Origins: The history of "cryptic" starts with "kryptein," a Greek word meaning "to hide." From this word came "kryptos," meaning "hidden," which led to "crypticus," the Latin predecessor of our "cryptic." Not surprisingly, "cryptic" is closely related to "crypt" ("underground chamber"). "Crypt" comes from the Latin "crypta" ("vault, cavern"), another "kryptein" derivative. Can you uncover other "kryptein" relatives in English? The element "krypton" would be a correct guess, and so would "apocrypha," which means "writings of dubious authenticity." "Kryptein" also gave us several words having to do with secret codes, such as "cryptogram" ("a communication in cipher or code") and "cryptography" ("the coding and decoding of secret messages"). And in fact, something "cryptic" can sometimes seem as if
written in code.
WORD: oscillate \os' e late\ (verb): to swing back and forth with a steady, uninterrupted rhythm: to waver, as between conflicting opinions or courses of action; vacillate: physics: to vary between alternate extremes, usually within a definable period of time.
NOUN: oscillator ADJECTIVE: oscillatory.
SYNONYMS: * vibrate * swing * rock * alternate * undulate * pulsate* dangle
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:The jury's decision kept oscillating until they received the photographic evidence from the case, and then the members unanimously agreed.
Origin: [18th century] Latin os originally meant "mouth" (it was the source of English oral), but it was also used for "face." Its diminutive form oscillum "little face" was applied to a mask depicting the god Bacchus that was hung up as a charm in vineyards, to be swung to and fro by the breeze. In due course its meaning broadened out to "swing" generally, and a verb oscillare "swing" was derived from it - whence English oscillate.
XI/VI\XXXVI
(26 June 1999, New Guinea) Reverend Newton Day, a self-ordained minister of his own Blessed Children Church, left Melbourne, Australia with his wife Pauline and daughters Paulette, Alicia and Sara. The ill-fated Reverend was determined to bring religion to a tribe of satanic cannibals. He dragged his fearful wife and daughters into the jungles of New Guinea. His sister begged him not to risk his babies' lives like that. "But he said the cannibals would love his kids, and that would make his job even easier."
As it turned out the Reverend Newton Day guessed wrong. The Tuoari tribesmen promptly ate the Reverend Day his wife and his three daughters. Concerned locals said, "We tried to tell him that Tuoaris don't want missionaries. They are perfectly happy worshiping the devil and eating any juicy white man who comes along." "Neighboring tribes say that the preacher and his family were in the stewpot before he ever got his Bible out of his duffel bag," Detective Ike C. Doka reported. "The Tuoaris ate like kings and danced all night long."
(November 1999) A church held a pageant that culminated in an exciting climactic battle between God and Satan. A stage actor was hired to play Satan, and encouraged to use any means necessary to make the role more realistic. A true professional, he used a voice shifter to make his voice sound dark and evil, and even gave a display of his fire-breathing skills. These theatrics proved to be too much for two members of the congregation, who had heart attacks on the spot, and were rushed to the hospital. One died and the other is in critical condition, which is certainly a dramatic way of saying, "The reviews are in and the show is a smash!"
Wicked Words
WORD: sardonic \sar don' ik\ (adjective): scornfully or cynically mocking
ADVERB: sardonically NOUN: sardonicism
SYNONYMS: * wry * sarcastic * disparaging * reproachful * satirical * dry * critical * derisive
ANTONYM: * respectful
EXAMPLE SENTENCE: John wanted to knock the sardonic grin right off his brother's face when he brought home a better report card.
Origins: [17th century] The Greek word for "scornful, mocking" was sardanios, but this came to be changed to sardonios, which literally meant "Sardinian," through association with the Latin term herba Sardonia "Sardinian plant," the name of a sort of plant which when eaten caused facial contortions that resembled a scornful grin. English acquired the word via Latin sardonius and French sardonique. The sardine [15th cen-
tury] probably gets its name from Sardinia, too.
* prosophobia \proe soe foe' bi a\ (noun): fear of or aversion to progress.
* resupination \ree soo" pin ae' shen\ (noun): turning to an upside-down position.
grisly * \GRIZ-lee\ * (adjective)1 : inspiring horror or intense fear; 2 : inspiring disgust or distaste.
Example sentence: "The crime scene revealed a murder of an especially gruesome nature," said the detective, "but I will spare you the grisly details."
Origin: "Grisly" derives from an Old
English predecessor, "grislic," which is itself related to an Old English verb meaning "to fear." "Grizzly" comes from the Middle English adjective "grisel," meaning "gray." Like its variant "grizzled," this "grizzly" means "sprinkled or streaked with gray." In other words, the grizzly got its name because it has fur that is somewhat grayish, not because it causes terror. That misperception-that the bear's name reflects its reputed fierceness-probably contributed to the development of the "grizzly"
variant of "grisly."
IX/XXVI\XXXVI
Satan Made Me View Web Porn!
"It was temptation by Satan, of course," protests David Stein, 44. The New Mexico state employee fired in December 1998 for accessing credit-card Web porn from his tax-department work site is now blaming his own horny error on Lucifer. Stein is appealing his dismissal despite his earlier confession that he did "look at some pictures and stuff" once because he was curious about "what kind of smut was available out there ... you know, so I could stay away from it." He laments that he became trapped in an "endless loop" of demonic filth as he frantically pressed the "back" button on his browser. "It just kept taking me deeper and deeper," he shudders. He eventually shut off his computer, but in less than an hour he was back at it because, "Satan told me to check it out some more." Stein testifies that he might have been targeted by the Lord of Hell because, "The stronger you are as a Christian, the more Satan works on you because he fears losing his grip on you."
Wicked Word
nefarious * \nih-FAIR-ee-us\ * (adjective) : flagrantly wicked or impious : evil
Example sentence: "Aye, matey, have you been up to nefarious doings like stealing
treasure and making men walk the plank?" Amy asked the young pirate
as she dropped Halloween candy into his bag.
Origins: "Vicious" and "villainous" are two wicked synonyms of "nefarious,"
and, like "nefarious," both mean "highly reprehensible or offensive
in character, nature, or conduct." But these synonyms are not used in
exactly the same way in all situations. "Vicious" may imply moral
depravity or it may connote malignancy, cruelty, or destructive
violence. "Villainous" applies to any evil, depraved, or vile conduct
or characteristic, while "nefarious" (which comes from a Latin root
meaning "crime") suggests flagrant breaching of time-honored laws and
traditions of conduct.
IX/XXIV\XXXVI
Wicked Words
talionic \tal i on' ik\ (adjective) : pertaining to revenge in king {"an eye for an eye..."}.
vastation \vas tae' shen\ (noun): purification through fire.
pernoctation \pur nok tae' shen\ (noun): a night-long vigil.
IX/XIV\XXXVI
Wicked Word
dialectic \dy'a lek' tik\ (noun): the art or practice of arriving at the truth by the exchange of logical arguments: The process especially associated with Hegel of arriving
at the truth by stating a thesis, developing a contradictory antithesis, and combining and resolving them into a
coherent synthesis; Hegel's critical method for the investigation of this
process; The Marxian process of change through the conflict of opposing forces, whereby a given contradiction is characterized by a primary and a secondary aspect, the secondary
succumbing to the primary, which is then transformed into
an aspect of a new contradiction. Often used in the plural
with a singular or plural verb: The Marxian critique of this process; dialectics (used with a sing. verb) A method of argument
or exposition that systematically weighs contradictory
facts or ideas with a view to the resolution of their real
or apparent contradictions; The contradiction between two conflicting forces viewed
as the determining factor in their continuing interaction.
SYNONYMS:
* reasoning * induction
* rationalism * ratiocination
ANTONYM: * intuition * sophistry
EXAMPLE SENTENCE: The singer often said dialectics were her main goal - to
seek truth through her songwriting and her fans' feedback.
Origins: [16th century] The notion underlying
dialect and its relative dialectic [14th century] and dialogue
[13th century] is of "conversation." They come ultimately
from Greek dialegesthai "converse," a compound verb formed
from the prefix dia- "with each other" and legein "speak"
(source of English lecture and a wide range of related words).
This formed the basis of two derived nouns. First dialektos
"conversation, discourse," hence "way of speaking" and "even-
tually "local speech," which passed into English via Latin
dialectus and Old French dialecte (from it was produced the
adjective dialektikos "of conversation, discussion, or debate," which was eventually to become English dialectic).
Secondly, dialogos "conversation," which again reached
English via Latin and Old French.
vastation \vas tae' shen\ (noun): purification through fire.
pernoctation \pur nok tae' shen\ (noun): a night-long vigil.
VIII/XXVIII\XXXVI
Terrorist Game Claims Life
A Thai man has died from heart failure during an all-night computer game. The 22-year-old was found dead at his computer terminal in an internet cafe in Chiang Mai. Police say his friends told them he was addicted to the game and played it from Wednesday evening until he was found slumped over the computer's keyboard at noon on Thursday.
They confirmed that Thanet Sommoi, a worker at a ceramics factory, died from heart failure. He had been playing Half Life: Counter Strike, which casts players in the role of terrorist or counter-terrorist. Up to 32 people can join in on the internet. Police say investigators believed Thanet developed tension and fatigue after playing the game for hours, and his heart eventually failed.
Marilyn Manson in Web Rant To RIP Sex Rap
Goth rocker Marilyn Manson has lashed out at the lurid sex charge against him - insisting prosecutors are using trumped-up allegations to get him behind bars.
"This is nothing more than yet another attempt to run Marilyn Manson into the ground," the shock rocker raged yesterday on the message board of his official Web site, marilynmanson.net.
"They've done it before, and they are going to keep doing it until the day I die."
Last week, Manson - a k a 32-year-old Brian Warner - was accused of sexually
assaulting a male security
guard during his July 30 concert in Clarkstown, Mich.
Naked except for a G-string, Manson allegedly wrapped himself around Joshua
Keasler, rubbing his
genitals on the guard's head and neck - which fans thought was all part of the
wacko rocker's show.
Manson, out of the country on a world tour, has denied the charges and questioned
the timing of the
warrant for his arrest, which was issued last Friday.
"There is no point to this. If they really wanted to see me rot in jail that bad, they
would have booked
me on [July] 30th," he ranted on his Web site.
"It comes down to love, hate and corruption, and Marilyn Manson thrives on that."
VIII/XX\XXXVI
Wicked Word
Ennui on-WEE, ON-wee (noun), Listlessness and dissatisfaction resulting from lack of interest; boredom.
"But, in their candid moments, they betrayed a lack of fulfillment and a sense of ennui."
VIII/XVII\XXXVI
Marilyn Manson Accused Of Rubbing Crotch On Man's Head
By Corey Moss, with additional reporting by Jennifer Vineyard - 08/16/2001
Marilyn Manson has been charged with
assaulting a security guard by allegedly rubbing
his genital area on the man's head during a
concert in Clarkston, Michigan.
The shock rocker is being accused of felony
fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct along with
misdemeanor assault and battery. If convicted,
he could face more than two years in prison.
Manson was performing at the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston on July 20
when he allegedly approached 25-year-old security guard Joshua Keasler from
behind while rubbing his own genital area, Oakland Country prosecutor David G.
Gorcyca said in a statement Thursday (August 16). After spitting on Keasler's
head, a G-string-clad Manson wrapped his legs around the guard and rubbed
his genital area on Keasler's head and neck, the statement said.
"Manson's actions far exceed any freedom of expression or artistic license,"
Gorcyca said in the statement. "His conduct was in no way a choreographed
part of the performance. These acts are sexual and physical assaults on an
unsuspecting individual whose job was to protect the performers. This
disgusting display and conduct cannot go unrecognized, and for those reasons
these charges were issued."
Gorcyca said the two-count complaint would likely be filed in the 52-2 District
Court in Clarkston on Friday.
Manson's lawyer and his spokesperson at Interscope Records had not heard of
the charges when contacted Thursday afternoon. Neither would comment until
looking into it further.
Gay 'Debauchery' Trial in Egypt Brings Protests
Security was tight at the trial of 52 men charged in Egypt with Islamic religious offenses and debauchery
after police raided a Nile boat party where men allegedly were engaging in homosexual sex acts. The case
in Cairo has brought international condemnation by human rights activists, who protested Wednesday
outside U.N. European headquarters in Geneva. Defense lawyers want the proceedings transferred from
a state security court to a regular misdemeanor court.
One charge, contempt of Islam, is a security offense punishable by up to 5 years in prison. Debauchery
is punishable by 3 years.
VIII/XVI\XXXVI
Marilyn Manson: Blame It on the Bible
Shock rocker Marilyn Manson refuses to accept responsibility for his fans' actions - because he feels the
Bible should be blamed instead.
The Antichrist Superstar has been blamed for both America's tragic Columbine high school massacre, and
for an episode when three Italian schoolgirls murdered their 61-year-old Mother Superior (6JUN00).
But in a new TV documentary, Manson insists he has been made a scapegoat.
He says, "Someone needs to be blamed. It's like saying 'the Devil made me do it', and in this case I'm the
Devil.
"The fact that the police found school diaries with my lyrics should be laid next to the fact that these
girls also had Bibles.
"You should carefully scrutinize and compare the two and see what exactly contains more violence - my
lyrics or the Bible. The symbol of Christ is a symbol of murder.
"The Devil is the church's best friend - he's kept it in business. They are all roles, it's all a big play - I am
playing the role of the Devil."
Archbishop tells Pope he will Leave Wife
A Zambian archbishop whose marriage scandalized the Vatican is leaving his wife and returning to the
Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican said. The Vatican quoted Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo as having
told the pope, ''I am your humble and obedient servant.'' Milingo, 71, ignored his celibacy vow and was
married to Maria Sung, 43, in a mass ceremony led by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon in New York City on
May 27. The Vatican said Milingo also is breaking his ties to Moon, leader of the Unification Church.
Sung, a South Korean physician, suggested Monday that she may be pregnant. She accused the Vatican
of holding Milingo prisoner and denounced the letter as false. She said she is on a hunger strike until she
can see her husband again.
TORI AMOS TOUR DETAILS
When Tori Amos sets off on her American tour, to promote
the new album, “Strange Little Girls,” she won't need
much in the way of roadies -- Amos will perform solo,
accompanying herself on piano. The album features covers
of songs originally done by bands like the Beatles
(“Happiness Is a Warm Gun”), Depeche Mode (“Enjoy the
Silence”), Eminem (“Bonnie & Clyde”), Joe Jackson
(“Real Men”), the Velvet Underground (“New Age”) and
Neil Young (“Heart of Gold”). Singer-pianist Rufus
Wainwright will open for Amos for the first month of
the tour. When tickets go on sale later this week, Amos'
fan club members will get first crack at the best seats
via her official Web site, toriamos.com. The tour begins
Sept. 28 in West Palm Beach, Fla. “Strange Little Girls”
is due in stores on Sept. 18.
VIII/XV\XXXVI
Wicked Word
Sisyphean * \sih-suh-FEE-un\ * (adjective) : of, relating to, or
suggestive of the labors of Sisyphus; specifically : requiring
continual and often ineffective effort
Example sentence: No one works at the Happy Burger for very long, so it's a Sisyphean
task for the manager just to keep the place adequately staffed.
Origins:The legendary Corinthian king Sisyphus annoyed the gods with his
trickery. As a consequence, in Hades he was condemned for eternity to
roll a huge rock up a long, steep hill, only to watch it roll back
down. Sisyphus' story is often told in conjunction with that of
Tantalus, another king who offended the gods and paid the price in
Hades. Tantalus was condemned to stand beneath fruit-laden boughs, up
to his chin in water. Whenever he bent his head to drink, the water
receded, and whenever he reached for the fruit, the branches moved
beyond his grasp. Thus to "tantalize" is to tease or torment by
offering something desirable but keeping it out of reach-and
something "Sisyphean" (or "Sisyphian," pronounced \sih-SIH-fee-un\)
demands unending, thankless, and ultimately unsuccessful efforts.
2) epulotic \ep ue lot' ik\ (adjective)
: having healing power
VIII/XIV\XXXVI
Frankenheimer Preps "Exorcist" Prequel
John Frankenheimer, who has made a career out of thrilling the pants off moviegoers with classics like
The Manchurian Candidate, Seven Days in May and Seconds, now plans on upping the fear factor. The
acclaimed director has signed on to direct a prequel to The Exorcist.
The as-yet-untitled fourth installment of the scarifying series goes back in time to chronicle Father
Merrin's first run-in with the devil during missionary work in post-World War II Africa. (Fans, of
course, will remember Merrin was the aging priest in the original played by screen legend Max Von
Sydow.)
The prequel was adapted by screenwriter William Wisher from the 1973 novel by William Peter Blatty
and given a fresh polish by writer Caleb Carr. Frankenheimer grew interested in the project and quickly
came aboard after reading Carr's rewrite.
"We signed Frankenheimer on the strength of a very extensive rewrite by Caleb Carr and we're very
happy to have an A-plus director," says executive producer Jonathan Zimbert. The prequel, he says, has
received Blatty's blessing and "traces Father Merrin's first encounter with the Devil [taken from] about a
page or so of The Exorcist novel."
WICKED WORD
macabre \me ka' bre\ (adjective): suggesting the horror of death and decay; gruesome: macabre tales of war and plague in the Middle Ages : constituting or including a representation of death
SYNONYMS: ghastly, grim, grisly, gruesome, lurid.
Origins: {15th century} The word macabre is an excellent
example of a word formed with reference to a specific context
that has long since disappeared for everyone but scholars.
Macabre is first recorded in the phrase Macabrees daunce in
a work written around 1430 by John Lydgate. Macabree was
thought by Lydgate to be the name of a French author, but in
fact he misunderstood the Old French phrase Danse Macabre,
“the Dance of Death,” a subject of art and literature. In this
dance, Death leads people of all classes and walks of life to
the same final end. The macabre element may be an alteration
of Macabe, “a Maccabee.” The Maccabees were Jewish martyrs who
were honored by a feast throughout the Western Church, and
reverence for them was linked to reverence for the dead. Today
macabre has no connection with the Maccabees and little
connection with the Dance of Death, but it still has to do
with death.
VIII/IX\XXXVI
Unholy Alliance
Ozzy Osbourne and Rob Zombie got together last week in
a Los Angeles studio to work on "Iron Head." Osbourne
recorded vocals for the song last week, according to
Zombie's management company. The song is scheduled to
be included in Zombie's upcoming album. The release
of the horror-rocker's second solo CD has been put
off until Oct. 30. A Zombie tour is scheduled to follow in November. Other guests on the CD include Slayer
guitarist Kerry King, former Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy
Lee, Limp Bizkit's DJ Lethal and turntablist Mix Master
Mike. Zombie recently recorded a track for the album
with a 30-piece orchestra at Jim Henson Studios.
Wicked Word
omerta {o-mer-TAH, oh-MER-tuh} (noun): secrecy sworn to by oath; code of silence.
VIII/VIII\XXXVI
British actor CHRISTOPHER HEWETT has died at the age of 80.
Hewitt, took the lead role in hit 1980s American TV show MR BELVEDERE, and starred in the original BROADWAY performance of MY FAIR LADY in 1956.
But for most American audiences, he's best remembered as the problem solving butler Mr. Belvedere who once worked for England's Royal family and ended up as an employee of an American family. He died on Friday August 3rd.
{Evocation: The character of Mr. Belvedere has been an endearing one, preserving the fineries of the old world with wisdom, etiquette, dignity, & grace so rare nowadays. Christopher Hewitt was a fine actor of the highest callibre, & his work has been appreciated by Myself for quite some time. His memory shall live on in his humorous portrayals & stoic characterizations. R.I.P. ~ DB.}
WICKED WORD
epigram * \EH-puh-gram\ * (noun) 1 : a concise, often satirical poem 2 : a terse, sage, or witty saying
Example sentence: Ever the master of insightful epigram, Oscar Wilde once observed: "In
this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one
wants, and the other is getting it."
Origins: "Epigram" comes from the Greek word "epigraphein," meaning "to write
on, inscribe." "Epi" means "on" or "upon" and "graphein" means "to
write." Originally, epigrams were verse inscriptions that appeared on
buildings, statues, or tombstones. By about the 1st century BC, the
term had taken on its current meaning of a concise poem. Epigrams
often deal with a single thought or event and end with an ingenious
turn of thought. For example, Martial, a Roman poet and master of the
form, wrote:
You puff the poets of other days,
The living you deplore.
Spare me the accolade: your praise
Is not worth dying for.
In the late 18th century, English speakers began using "epigram" for
concise, witty sayings as well as poetry.
VIII/I\XXXVI
Have a Cell Phone? Church Can Come to You!
Salvation now makes house calls! Those too busy to attend
church and have a cell phone: don't fret. With the help of a
cell phone Short Message Service, a religious group has trans-
lated the Lord's Prayer into shorthand so you can read it
on your phone. The opening, "Our Father, who art in heaven,"
has now been shortened to "dad@hvn" and "hallowed be thy name"
is now "urspshl." The entire prayer has been shortened enough
to fit into SMS's limit of 160 characters. A spokesperson
called the SMS prayer "an experimental form of virtual worship."
Wicked Words
1) succubus \suk' ue bus\ (noun) : a female goblin who seduces men in their sleep; a lewd person.
2) pygophilous \pie gof' il es\ (adjective): buttock-loving.
3) mammonism \mam' en iz" em\ (noun): devotion to the pursuit of wealth.
VII/XXX\XXXVI
Fans to celebrate Potter's birthday
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Warner Bros. is encouraging fans to celebrate the birthday of fictional wizard-child Harry Potter.
The studio has set up an electronic birthday card on its Web site for the upcoming movie "Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone," based on the first of the best-selling children's books by J.K. Rowling. Potter, known as the "Boy
Who Lived" because he survived a deadly attack by the wicked warlock Lord Voldemort, was born on July 31, according
to the books. The CBS Early Show plans to televise a birthday party in New York City, with a Harry Potter look-alike
contest, balloons, cake and a six-foot birthday card. Harry Potter is 11 years old in the first book and 14 years old by the
fourth and latest installment, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." The Warner Bros. film is scheduled to open Nov.
16.
Kinky Ghost Has People of Zanzibar Under His Spell
ZANZIBAR ISLAND, Africa - The people of Africa have a reason
to fear the things that go bump (and grind) in the middle of
the night. Rumor has it there is a sexually aggressive ghost
that attacks people while they are asleep. The ghost goes by
the name of Popo Bawa and people say he prefers to visit
sleepers while they are in their own beds at home. Popo's
presence is said to be revealed by an acrid smell and a puff
of smoke. Women, however, are less concerned about this super-
natural threat than the local men because this particular
spirit has a preference for men, many of whom have reported
being sodomized while they were asleep.
VII/XXVI\XXXVI
TV psychic accused of consumer fraud
By PAUL SLOCA- Associated Press Writer
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri's attorney general has filed
lawsuits against a television psychic hot line for allegedly
violating the state's no-call law and consumer fraud.
``Miss Cleo should have seen this coming,'' Attorney General Jay
Nixon said. ``It doesn't take a crystal ball to realize that
ripping off consumers isn't without consequences.''
Nixon filed two suits Tuesday against Access Resources Services
Inc., a Florida company best-known for promoting Miss Cleo's tarot
psychic reading.
Speaking with a Caribbean accent, Miss Cleo appears in national
television commercials promising insights into love, money and
other personal matters.
The lawsuits filed in St. Louis Circuit Court allege 94
violations of the state's no-call list. The company faces fines of
up to $5,000 per violation if found liable for calling people who
requested privacy.
Sean Moynihan, a New York City-based attorney representing
Access, said the state has no basis for suing the company.
``We strongly disagree with the contentions that are raised in
the lawsuits,'' Moynihan said. ``We are very anxious to work with
the attorney general to demonstrate that the business practices of
Access are proper and do adhere to the law.''
Nixon said Missourians were billed for free services and that
the company misrepresented reduced rates and waiver fees. For
example, customers spent three minutes on the phone providing
information including a name, address and phone number then were
charged for time spent on hold waiting to speak with a psychic.
Missouri residents who never requested the service, including
deceased people, have received bills for Miss Cleo's services,
Nixon said. Moynihan said telephone companies are responsible for
billing, not the company.
The company also charged consumers for calls made by minors who
did not receive parental consent, Nixon said. Moynihan said the
company has safeguards to prevent minors from calling, and only
those who lie about their age can get through to the psychic.
Mark Pryor, Arkansas' attorney general, sued Access last year
for alleged fraud, saying the company had ``used just about every
trick in the book to mislead and overbill consumers.''
Alien hunters scan the heavens
By ANDREW BRIDGES - AP Science Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Not content to just listen for aliens, a
group of California scientists has begun looking for them, too.
For years, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence _
commonly known as SETIhas focused on sifting through the radio
or microwave transmissions that stream toward Earth from all
quarters of the universe. By crunching the data, scientists hope to
detect signals generated by alien civilizations.
Now, scientists at the SETI Institute, the University of
California's Berkeley and Santa Cruz campuses and the Lick
Observatory have expanded their search to include a hunt for
fleeting flashes of laser light. Using a 40-inch telescope at Lick,
they are hunting for pulses as brief as one-billionth of a second
that emanate from star systems hundreds of light-years away.
``It's a very long shot, but it's very inexpensive to do,'' said
Frank Drake, the SETI Institute's board chairman.
The optical hunt requires use of an existing telescope and about
$10,000 worth of equipment. In contrast, the group is building a
$26 million array to enhance its search for radio signals.
If the optical project does detect a pulse, it's not clear what
meaningful two-way communication could ensue. Laser pulses,
traveling at the speed of light, can take hundreds if not thousands
of years to travel between the stars.
``If you do get in touch, the conversation is going to be
tedious,'' said Seth Shostak, a SETI Institute astronomer.
The idea of hunting for alien laser pulses has been around for
40 years, or nearly as long as the laser itself. In the United
States, teams based at Harvard University, Princeton University,
Berkeley and in Columbus, Ohio, are conducting optical searches.
Unlike radio-focused efforts, a successful optical hunt would
require catching an alien civilization deliberately targeting Earth
with a laser beacon or pulse.
If radio SETI is listening for a shout from an individual in a
crowd, its optical counterpart is looking for a subtle wink.
``With radio, generally speaking, signals tend to spread out
more _ you don't have to target your receiver. With optical
receivers, you have to know where the guy is on the other end,''
Shostak said.
The system installed at the Lick observatory uses three light
detectors, called photomultipliers, hooked up to its Nickel
Telescope.
The telescope is pointed at each candidate star for 10 minutes.
The light it gathers is then split and shuttled to each detector.
While light from the star itself can also trigger the detectors,
the number of photons, or light particles, from a laser pulse would
outnumber them 1,000-to-1, Drake said.
So far, the search has examined about 300 stars, as well as a
few star clusters. No alien laser pulses have been detected, but
the hunt will continue for at least the next year, hitting 1,000
stars.
WICKED WORD: nefarious \ne far' ee es\ (adjective): infamous by way of being extremely wicked
SYNONYMS: * villainous * wicked * sinful * iniquitous * vicious * flagitious
ANTONYM: * virtuous * moral * pure * righteous
EXAMPLE SENTENCE: The lonely teenager became nefarious for pulling various
pranks, but he did not care; he figured any attention was
good attention.
Origins: [16th century] Latin nefas "sin" denoted
etymologically something that was contrary to the divine law.
It was a compound noun formed from the negative particle ne-
and fas "divine law, dictates of religion." From it was
derived the adjective nefarius, source of English nefarious.
VII/XXV\XXXVI
Stephen King working on TV series
By The Associated Press
BANGOR, Maine (AP) _ Stephen King's latest project is a prime-time television series for ABC about a hospital with a spooky past, his office said.
``The Kingdom,'' to be aired during the 2002-2003 season, is based on director Lars von Trier's Danish TV miniseries that has gained a cult following. Critics have called it a cross between ``Twin Peaks'' and ``E.R.''
``Steve discovered this in a video store when he was in Colorado working on 'The Shining,''' said Marsha DeFilippo, a spokeswoman for the author.
``He really liked it and was interested in doing it,'' DeFilippo said.
ABC executives said the series will feature tales of a haunted hospital built over an ancient graveyard. It will begin with a two-hour installment, followed by 13 one-hour episodes.
``Stephen King is the master of terrifying tales,'' said Tom Mazza, president of Network Television, Columbia TriStar Television, one of the co-producers of the series. ``It's exciting that we're putting his words into motion for television.''
TORI AMOS
Tori Amos has a new album coming out Sept. 18. Titled
ÒStrange Little Girls,Ó the Atlantic Records release
-- her sixth solo CD -- is an assemblage of songs
written by men but performed by Amos from a woman's
perspective. They include Neil Young (ÒHeart of GoldÓ),
the Stranglers (ÒStrange Little GirlÓ), Eminem (Ò'97
Bonnie & ClydeÓ), Depeche Mode (ÒEnjoy the SilenceÓ),
Slayer (ÒRaining BloodÓ), Lou Reed (ÒNew AgeÓ) and
John Lennon and Paul McCartney (ÒHappiness Is A Warm
GunÓ). Immediately following the release of the album,
Amos will kick off a cross-country concert tour,
slated to begin in Miami on Sept. 28 and conclude in
San Francisco on Nov. 21. The shows will feature the
singer/songwriter alone at her keyboards -- marking
her first completely unaccompanied performances since
1994.
CORPORATE AVENGER
MTV, Comedy Central and E! are refusing to air the
commercials for Corporate Avenger's debut album
ÒFreedom Is A State of MindÓ in such top markets
as Chicago and Phoenix, Ariz. That, according to
the band's publicists, is because the TV spot con-
tains the words "the Bible is bullshit.Ó Other TV
stations will only run the Corporate Avenger spot
after 10 p.m. "When Christian people see things
like 'the Bible is bullshit', they immediately
think it represents an absence of values,Ó said
band member The Wind. Ò... Actually it's the
opposite of what it means to us. We believe
that the Bible should be held to the same stan-
dards as other works of art and literature.Ó
Corporate Avenger is currently on the road with
Insolence. The album, on Koch Records, hit
stores Tuesday.
VII/XXI\XXXVI
Devil Worshipper Charged with Grave Robbing
BRAINTREE, Mass. - Police in a town just south of Boston
received a tip that George Picard, 34, had allegedly stolen
items from his upstairs neighbor. When they searched Picard's
apartment, they found several alarming objects including a
skull, bones, a brain and a fetus in jars - as well as occult
paraphernalia. Picard has been charged with grave-robbing and
drug possession. Police Lt. Russell Jenkins told a local
newspaper that the man is suspected to be involved in devil
worship, and neighbors said he had "mental problems." The
skull allegedly was stolen from a nearby cemetery, while the
fetus and brain apparently were stolen from the New England
Medical Center in Boston, where Picard had worked as an elec-
trician.
VII/XX\XXXVI
COMPOSER JAMES BERNARD DIES AT 75
JULY 12, 2001 - Composer James Bernard, who is best known for
his eerie musical scores for some of Britain's most famous
horror films, has died in a London hospital. He was 75. Dur-
ing his nearly 40-year career, Bernard reportedly composed
scores for "The Curse of Frankenstein" (1957), "Dracula"
(1958) and "The Devil Rides Out" (1968). He won an Academy
Award, but not for his music. Bernard shared an Oscar in 1951
with Paul Dehn for best motion picture story for "Seven Days
To Noon."
'RINGLING BROS.' ANIMAL TRAINER LOSES BATTLE AGAINST CANCER
JULY 19, 2001 - Circus animal trainer Gunther Gebel-Williams,
who was a member of "The Greatest Show on Earth" for over
three decades, died of cancer at his home in Venice, Florida.
He was 66. Gebel-Williams made his American debut with the
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus in January, 1969
and went on to appear in 12,000 shows before an estimated 200
million people. In 1974, he was featured in a CBS-TV special,
"Lord of the Rings," with Tony Curtis. He was in a 1981 NBC-TV
network special, "My Father, the Circus King," narrated by
his son, Mark Oliver. Gebel-Williams was also the vice presi-
dent of animal welfare for the circus, overseeing about 400
animals.
VII/XVII\XXXVI
Apple profits drop 70%
By MAY WONG; AP Technology Writer
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - Apple Computer Inc. reported a 70
percent drop in third-quarter profits Tuesday, beating Wall
Street's expectations by two cents a share, but adding no joy to
the sagging PC industry.
``We haven't seen any signs of an upturn in the consumer PC
market,'' Fred Anderson, Apple's chief financial officer, told
analysts in a conference call.
The company lowered its revenue outlook for the second half of
the fiscal year to about $3 billion from a range of $3.2 billion to
$3.4 billion.
For the three months ended June 30, Apple said it earned $61
million, or 17 cents a share. Wall Street analysts surveyed by
Thomson Financial/First Call had projected earnings of 15 cents a
share.
The Cupertino-based computer maker had earned $200 million, or
55 cents per share, in the year-ago period, but excluding one-time
items, it earned $163 million or 45 cents per share.
Revenues were $1.47 billion for the quarter, down 19 percent
from the $1.82 billion of the year-ago period.
Shares of Apple closed Tuesday up $1.14, or nearly 5 percent, at
$25.10 on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The stock fell to $22.40 in
after-hours trading.
The overall personal computer industry is saturated and
struggling with the economic slowdown. Citing weakening demand,
Compaq Computer Corp. last week lowered its second-quarter revenue
forecast from $9 billion to $8.4 billion.
Apple said its solid third-quarter results were largely due to
faster-than-expected sales of its new iBook laptops: the company
shipped more than 182,000 units in the quarter. But, overall, the
company remained cautious about the current quarter.
``Our balance sheet remains very strong, with over $4.2 billion
in cash, and we are targeting a slight sequential increase in
revenues and earnings per share in the September quarter,''
Anderson said.
Apple, which hasn't announced layoffs or major cutbacks, is
faring better than other PC vendors, but ``it continues to be a
tough PC environment and it's difficult to fight that tide,'' said
David Bailey, an analyst with Gerard Klauer Mattison & Co.
Haiti's voodoo faithful pray
By PAISLEY DODDS; Associated Press Writer
SAUT D'EAU, Haiti (AP) - Wearing red satin scarves and lugging
rum and palm-thatch mats on their heads, tens of thousands trekked
to sacred waterfalls Tuesday in a voodoo pilgrimage to pray for
everything from good crops to an end to Haiti's political impasse.
The weeklong Saut d'Eau pilgrimage came as President
Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the opposition and foreign mediators
struggled to end a yearlong deadlock stalling aid to the Caribbean
nation.
``I think the gods will help me faster than Aristide,'' said
23-year-old farmer Joel Poince, sitting under a tree studded with
burning white candles and calabash rinds filled with rum and sugar
water. ``Everyone here is looking for change.''
Legend has it that in the mid-1800s an image of the Virgin Mary
appeared near the waterfalls of Saut d'Eau. Today, most pilgrims
pay homage to the goddess of love _ Erzulie _ the equivalent of the
Virgin Mary in Vodou, the Creole word for voodoo.
For some pilgrims, the journey can take days on the back of a
truck, donkey, horse, or on foot _ the road into the mountains is
pocked with craters five feet deep. Even in an all-terrain vehicle,
the 40-mile trip from Port-au-Prince takes five hours.
Most pilgrims sleep in the open or pay to stay in local houses.
Some dance to the drumming all night long.
``Saut d'Eau is a lot like Mecca to Muslims,'' said Ronald
Derenoncourt, 47, a houngan or priest. ``No matter how much it
costs, no matter how long it takes, if you serve the spirits you
need to make the pilgrimage at least once.''
Most make the final four miles on foot, crossing caverns filled
with brackish water up to their waists and crawling up steep
cliffs. After they reach the 100-foot tall falls, the rituals
begin.
Pilgrims strip and submerge themselves in the water, bathing
with soap and aromatic leaves like mint. Some stand under the
cascade with arms stretched wide, and ask Erzulie for favors. Some
begin shaking and believe they are possessed.
The ritual involves leaving one's old clothes behind in the
water.
Then pilgrims visit priests and priestesses for guidance. Others
join in drumming while cows and goats are sacrificed.
``This year, I asked Erzulie for more trees,'' said Phillipe
Jean, a 40-year-old carpenter referring to the land stripped bare
by centuries of deforestation. ``It's hard to get work without
access to wood.''
Even for Haitians living abroad, Saut d'Eau is important.
``I've been coming since 1989,'' said 22-year-old Chantalle
Obas, a Haitian-American from New York City who set up a makeshift
restaurant. ``I come to go to the waterfalls but also to do a
little business.''
Vodou evolved in the 17th century from African slaves. French
colonizers forced them to practice Roman Catholicism but many
remained loyal to their African religions in secret by adopting
Catholic saints to coincide with African spirits. The Virgin Mary
became Erzulie, St. Jacques became Ogun, a warrior spirit. Voodoo
followers believe in a supreme God and a world of powerful spirits
who link the human with the divine.
``Vodou has kept oppressed people going for decades,'' said
Michelle Karshan, a government spokeswoman on the pilgrimage.
``Aristide was a Catholic priest but he does believe in the power
of love and Erzulie represents that.''
After talks mediated by the Organization of American States,
Aristide's governing Lavalas party and the opposition said Monday
they had agreed on new elections, but would continue to discuss
dates. Many countries froze aid to Haiti amid the political crisis,
and the OAS has agreed to help restore it if the political parties
reach agreement.
``The spirits with Aristide are more powerful than those with
the opposition,'' said priestess Dianese Pierre, 28, smoking a
cigarette and dishing out advice to pilgrims. ``Aristide admires
the spirit and that's why he's succeeded. The spirits say he will
go far.''
Wicked Word 1
liminal * \LIH-muh-nul\ * (adjective) 1 : of or relating to a sensory threshold *2 : barely perceptible
Example sentence: In the background of the painting, a liminal figure stands in the
murky half-light.
Origins: "Liminal" descends from the Latin noun "limen," meaning "threshold."
It makes sense, then, that "liminal" applies to the idea of a sensory
threshold, which has the fairly specific definition of "the point at
which a physiological or psychological effect begins to be produced."
(You may have guessed that "subliminal" is related-in Latin, it
translates as "below a threshold," and in English it can parallel
"liminal," describing something inadequate to produce a sensation or
operating below a threshold of consciousness.) The "sensory
threshold" sense of "liminal" has given rise to extended uses. In
addition to the "barely perceptible" sense, "liminal" now sometimes
means "transitional, intermediate" (as in "the liminal zone between
sleep and wakefulness"), though this meaning has yet to find its way
into most dictionaries.
Wicked Word 2
fideism \fie' dee iz" em\ (noun): depending upon faith rather than reason.
VII/XVII\XXXVI
Ray Bradbury to work on films
LOS ANGELES (AP) - At 81, science-fiction author Ray Bradbury resembles a one-man film factory rather than a
retiree. "I've got five films starting this year. Would you believe it?" Bradbury said in an interview with The Associated
Press on Friday. Set to go before the cameras are "The Martian Chronicles," "Fahrenheit 451," "The Sound of Thunder,"
"The Illustrated Man" and "Frost of Fire." "It's incredible to me that after all these years have gone by, I'm 81, and these
things are happening," Bradbury added. The prolific author, who sold his first story when he was 21, has had three of
his works filmed previously: "The Illustrated Man," "Fahrenheit 451" and "Something Wicked This Way Comes." He
and John Huston won Oscars for their script of the 1956 film "Moby Dick."
VII/IX\XXXVI
John Milton, 1608-74; English poet.
Between 1632 and 1638, John Milton studied literary classics and history, and also composed many of
his early works including "L'Allegro" and "Il Penseroso". In 1638, he toured throughout France and
Italy, meeting several key literary figures of the time. While in Italy, he learned of an imminent civil war
in his native country, and so returned to England where he threw himself into that cause.
In 1642, Milton married Mary Powell, who failed to return home after visiting her family that same year.
The event prompted Milton to write a treatise on divorce, and then supplementary pamphlets in response
to his critics. He was threatened with prosecution by a parliamentary committee, and in response, wrote
"Areopagtica, A Speech for the Liberty of Unlicensed Printing" in 1644. The next year, his wife returned
to him, and shortly thereafter gave birth to three daughters before her death in 1652, also the year that
Milton lost his eyesight.
The death of his second wife prompted Milton to compose a particularly moving sonnet, but it was not
until he married his third wife that his career as a poet peaked. Between 1662 and 1674, he created the
epics for which he is best known, including "Paradise Lost," a series of cantos describing the fall of
Adam. Marked by rich language and an extensive intellectualism, it is considered one of the greatest
poems ever written.
St. Pol Pot
A steadily increasing number of Cambodians in the northern Dangrek Mountains are trekking to the gravesite of the heinous dictator Pol Pot (who presided over the murders of a million people during the 1970s) because they say that communing with his spirit brings them good luck and, in some cases, winning lottery numbers, according to a June New York Times dispatch. [New York Times, 6-23-01]
Mark of The Beast
Reading University (England) Professor Kevin Warwick in the uses of surgically implanted microchips, which he then was offering as technology to track the whereabouts of employees, pets, and people licensed to carry firearms. Recently, Warwick announced that in September, he and his wife, Irena, will have transmitter/receiver microchips implanted in their arms, attached to nerve fibers, and that Warwick will attempt, by intentionally moving his fingers, to send a radio message from his arm to Irena's that will cause her fingers to move also. Researchers believe the technology could be used to allow spinal-injury patients to move paralyzed limbs by sending radio waves directly from the brain to the limb. [The Sunday Times (London), 5-6-01]
SLAYER
A definite release date has been announced for Slayer's latest album, "God Hates Us All" (on American Recordings).
It'll now hit stores Aug. 28. Originally, the CD was to have been released July 17 but then that date was moved to late August after producer Rick Rubin returned to the studio and did some remixing and remastering of the album.
VII/III\XXXVI
Wicked Word
recondite \rek' en dite\ (adjective): not easily understood; abstruse
; concerned with or treating something abstruse or obscure
; concealed; hidden
SYNONYMS:
* ambiguous * vague
* cryptic * abstruse
* enigmatic * deep
ANTONYM:
* decipherable * transparent
* obvious
EXAMPLE SENTENCE: Though Steven enjoyed his favorite band's new cd, some of
the lyrics were recondite as if purposely left vague for
individual interpretation.
Origin: [17th century] Recondite "obscure, abstruse" means
etymologically "hidden." It comes from reconditus, the past
participle of Latin recondere "hide." This was a compound
verb formed from the prefix re- "again" and condere "put away,
store" (ultimate source of English condiment [15th century],
literally "stored" or "preserved" food).
VII/II\XXXVI
Wicked Word
athenaeum \ath en ee' em\ (noun) : an intellectual club; a building or room so used; a library or reading room.
VII/I\XXXVI
In March, the Yakima Indian Nation performed two rain ceremonies (ancient rituals involving fruits and berries) in the Washington mountains to bring an end to the drought plaguing the Northwest and then sent the bill for expenses ($32,000) to the region's electricity provider, Bonneville Power Administration, pointing out the (slight) increase in rainfall afterward. Nonetheless, Bonneville declined to pay. [ABC News-AP, 5-22-01]
Testifying at his sexual molestation trial in Leeds, England, in March, psychic healer Terence Wood, 41, admitted that he might have put his hands inside the clothing of the four complaining females but that he was unaware he was doing anything wrong: "When I'm healing, I'm in an altered state, and I just go where the spirit tells me the pain is. I close my eyes. My hand becomes very, very hot." [The Herald (Glasgow), 3-29-01]
Artificial Human Companions in the media:
'A.I.' hopes to generate real box office success
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "A.I. Artificial Intelligence" looks like the genuine article. Box office prospects for the Warner Bros. release, which opens everywhere this weekend, is bordering on blockbuster, with the jury awaiting only capitulation on the part of the important youth sector of the marketplace before declaring a unanimous verdict. The drama developed by the late Stanley Kubrick and realized by Steven Spielberg unfolds in a future world where sterile functionality has largely replaced human emotion and interaction. Haley Joel Osment stars as a young robot adopted by human parents who must flee for his life when worlds collide.
VI/XXVI\XXXVI
Christian park must pay tax
By MIKE SCHNEIDER; Associated Press Writer
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - A Christian theme park must pay property taxes, despite the owner's request for a tax exemption as a religious and educational entity, a tax official said Monday.
``I determined it was not exempt in that it was an attraction ... It's a business,'' said Bill Donegan, Orange County's property appraiser. ``It's not a museum, it's not a school and it's not a
church.''
The park's executive director, Marv Rosenthal, said he plans to challenge the decision in state court. ``We think it's very inappropriate that a museum that teaches about science is tax-exempt but a museum that teaches about God isn't,'' Rosenthal said.
The Holy Land Experience opened in February and was developed by Zion's Hope, a nonprofit, nondenominational Christian ministry. Detractors, including national Jewish groups, have accused the park of being a front for efforts to convert Jews. Rosenthal, a Baptist minister who was born Jewish, says he is a Hebrew Christian _ someone who considers himself Jewish but believes Jesus is the Messiah. Mainstream Jews don't recognize Hebrew Christians as Jewish.
He has denied that anyone at the park has tried to convert Jews. This year, only the park's land will be taxed, Donegan said. Next year, both land and buildings worth $16 million will be taxed. The park's bill could be as much as $348,000. If it is forced to pay the tax, the park would likely have to raise its $17 admission price, Rosenthal said.
Donegan said a tax exemption was granted for part of the property where administrative and educational facilities of the nonprofit Zion's Hope are located.
VI/XXII\XXXVI
MARILYN MANSON
Shock-rocker Marilyn Manson performed at Denver's Mile
High Stadium Thursday night as part of Ozzy Osbourne's
Ozzfest. It was his first show in the Colorado city
since canceling a concert in the days following the
April 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in nearby Littleton. Manson's appearance didn't sit well with
some folks -- such as the anti-Manson Citizens for
Peace and Respect, who blame the musician for promoting the type of behavior that led to the massacre. MTV
News reports the group held a rally Wednesday night
and gave away tickets to a local amusement park to
encourage kids to stay away from Manson's concert.
On the flip side, Citizens for Freedom of Choice also
rallied at the state capital Wednesday to protest the
anti-Manson protesters. Event organizer Carrieanne
Andrews, a mother of three, said she and other organizers resented Òbeing told how to be good parents.Ó
A spokesman for the family of one Columbine victim
thinks the singer should be welcomed. "I don't think
it's up to Marilyn Manson to instill a values system
in our children," Sam Riddle, spokesman for the
family of victim Isaiah Shoels, told the Rocky
Mountain News. "I think Marilyn Manson should be welcome to Denver and he ought to rock it." And Angela
Sanders, whose teacher father was killed in the
massacre, said she likes Manson's music. "I will always listen to Marilyn Manson and I will continue to
support him as long as I need to," Sanders told ABC
News. "It's very sad to me to see that Columbine had
to be brought into this issue at all. Columbine and
Marilyn Manson are completely, totally, separate
issues."
VI/XXI\XXXVI
Religious riots hit Belfast
By SHAWN POGATCHNIK, Associated Press Writer
BELFAST, Northern Ireland (AP) - Catholic and Protestant rioters
bombarded police with rocks, bricks and gasoline bombs Thursday in
street clashes that reflected worsening prospects for Northern
Ireland's 1998 peace accord.
For the second straight night, police and British soldiers were
pitted against rioters on the edge of Ardoyne, a hard-line Catholic
enclave surrounded by militant Protestant neighborhoods.
Officers with helmets, shields and flame-retardant suits
weathered a new barrage of bottles and gasoline bombs as they held
the middle ground between rival groups. One officer was struck in
the face with a rock and then dragged unconscious by colleagues to
a nearby armored car.
Hard-liners in other troubled districts of Belfast also took to
the streets, forcing police to turn increasingly for help to
British troops, whose presence in Northern Ireland has been cut
back.
Along west Belfast's Springfield Road, police and troops
intervened in the middle of a rock-throwing clash between Catholic
and Protestant youths, and said three officers suffered injuries.
Police advised motorists to avoid driving after dark as street
fights and rock-throwing battles were reported in at least two
other areas of the city. And as army surveillance helicopters kept
watch on the unfolding troubles, columns of police and army armored
cars lined several roads and intersections near hostile, often
drunken crowds.
Overnight Wednesday, police said rioters in the Ardoyne area
threw more than 100 gasoline bombs and several homemade grenades at
their lines, injuring 39 officers, five seriously.
``At the start we had opposing factions facing up to each other,
and then of course they turned on us,'' said Assistant Chief
Constable Alan McQuillan.
Protestant militants threw at least two crude pipe bombs into
the back yards of Catholic-occupied homes in Ardoyne. One blast
Thursday afternoon knocked a 5-year-old boy into a fence but didn't
injure him, locals said.
Police who responded to the blast leapt to safety when a second
device thrown over a fence by Protestants failed to detonate.
Almost as soon as they'd gotten back up, they suffered a barrage of
bricks and bottles from Catholics.
Much like their politicians, who are struggling to keep a joint
Catholic-Protestant government running as the 1998 pact intended,
the two sides in the Ardoyne dispute are shouting accusations of
blame and refusing to listen to each others' fears.
The Catholics say Protestants began throwing rocks on Tuesday at
schoolgirls leaving Holy Cross Primary School, which sits beside
the few remaining Protestant-occupied streets in Ardoyne.
``This trouble will stop when Protestant community leaders can
say with confidence that these children can go to their school in
safety,'' said Gerry Kelly, a former Irish Republican Army bomber
who today is a north Belfast representative of the IRA-linked Sinn
Fein party.
The Protestants _ who on Thursday blocked the main road outside
the school and forced parents to escort their children through a
back entrance _ insist the violence began Tuesday when IRA
supporters from Ardoyne attacked Protestants erecting flags on
Protestant streets beside the school.
Those flags honor the Ulster Volunteer Force, an outlawed
paramilitary group that, like the IRA, is supposed to be observing
a cease-fire in support of the 1998 pact.
Both sides concede the wider issue _ common to most Northern
Ireland disputes _ is the question of control. North Belfast was
once predominantly Protestant, but is turning increasingly
Catholic.
``It's all about territory and who should be allowed to move
this way or that way. The only solution is to live together, but
try telling that to people in this environment,'' said the Rev.
Norman Hamilton.
He oversees a Presbyterian church in Ballysillan, a nearby
Protestant neighborhood rife with murals and flags marking the area
as home turf for another outlawed Protestant gang, the Ulster
Defense Association.
Hamilton spent Thursday visiting his parishioners, among them
people considering moving away from the area because they're
increasingly scared of having their homes attacked by Catholic
youths from Ardoyne.
``One lady who was very frightened said to me, `If the peace
process breaks down, all this hatred in the streets will become
normal again.' That's a scary prospect,'' Hamilton said.
Revelers mark solstice at Stonehenge
LONDON (AP) - The lichen-covered rocks of Stonehenge
reverberated Thursday to the beat of drums, the sound of cheers,
and the drone of a motorized paraglider as thousands of revelers
greeted the summer solstice at the prehistoric site.
For only the second time since violence marred the event in
1985, the organization that oversees Stonehenge allowed ordinary
observers inside the ancient monument to watch the sun rise on the
year's longest day.
A 14,500-strong crowd of druids, New Age followers and
curiosity-seekers gathered inside and around the stone circle 80
miles southwest of London as dawn came at 4:55 a.m. Thursday.
Cloudy skies, which stopped the first rays of the sun shining
through an archway into the inner circle, did little to dampen the
festive spirit, as people danced and watched fire jugglers. As
sunrise drew near, a motorized paraglider swooped above the stones
to the cheers of the crowd.
``Everyone's been friendly. There's a very high energy here,''
said druid priest Mark Graham.
Stonehenge, the remnants of the last in a sequence of circular
monuments built between 3000 B.C. and 1600 B.C., is one of
Britain's most popular tourist attractions.
Exactly how and why it was built remains a mystery. Some experts
believe it is aligned with the sun because its builders came from a
sun-worshipping culture, while others believe the site was part of
a huge astronomical calendar.
Midsummer ceremonies at the site were banned in 1985, after
violent clashes between revelers and police - dubbed the Battle of
the Beanfield - led to hundreds of arrests and accusations of
police brutality.
In 1998, English Heritage, the organization that oversees
Stonehenge, allowed 100 people to gather amid the stones at dawn as
part of a step toward admitting larger crowds.
Two years ago, Stonehenge was opened to 150 druids, but about
200 people gatecrashed the event and clashed with police.
Last year, English Heritage decided to allow full access again,
and the celebration, attended by about 8,000 revelers, passed
peacefully.
This year, revelers were told they could party amid the stones
on condition they not climb on them or light fires. Amplified
music, fireworks, pets and glass also were banned.
Organizers and police said visitors stuck by the regulations.
One man clambered onto the stones, but was coaxed down by fellow
revelers.
``We have had a very enjoyable night. We have had about 14,500
people who enjoyed a really stunning sunrise this morning,'' said
Pam Alexander, chief executive of English Heritage.
Police reported only five arrests Thursday, all for minor drug
offenses.
But not everyone was happy. A group of 130 disillusioned druids
held their own ceremony at the site on Sunday so they could avoid
the partying crowd.
``There's a conflict between the need for a party and a need for
a spiritual ceremony to mark the summer solstice at Stonehenge,''
druid Mark McCabe told the British Broadcasting Corp.
``Who's going to stand up and ask 5,000 people to move out of
the stones so the druids can get in for dawn?'' he added.
Black diamond to be auctioned
PARIS (AP) - The largest known black diamond in the world was
unveiled Thursday in Paris ahead of an auction of the extremely
rare stone in eastern France.
The diamond weighs 489.07 carats and is estimated to be worth
$1.6 million to $1.9 million, jeweler Jean Norbert Salit told The
Associated Press.
Salit, who is based in Paris' elegant Place Vendome, said it has
been 30 years since a precious stone of more than 100 carats was
sold on the open market.
The black diamond will be auctioned June 28 in the town of Dole
near France's border with Switzerland.
Hewn recently from a rough diamond weighing over 1,000 carats,
the black stone is set in palladium, a rare silvery-white metal. It
is cut in the shape of an emerald.
The diamond's past remains a mystery, and its owner has
requested anonymity.
Uncut black diamond stones were extracted in just two places in
the world _ Brazil and central Africa. But the mines are now
exhausted, and stones found on the market come from stocks built up
over 50 years of mining.
The diamond will remain in Paris during the auction. Bidders in
Dole will be presented with a description and images of the stone.
Man cited in Cookie Monster assault
LANGHORNE, Pa. (AP) - A man's plan to have his young daughter meet the Cookie Monster crumbled when he was
arrested for allegedly assaulting the furry blue Sesame Street character. Police say Lee McPhatter, upset that the Cookie
Monster {a founding monster of the modern-day Black Metal voice} would not pose for a picture at the Sesame Place theme park, shoved and kicked the employee inside the
costume. McPhatter, 22, of Waldorf, Md., denies the allegations. "People started yelling at me that I should be ashamed
of myself for hitting Cookie Monster. I did not kick or punch Cookie Monster. The cop did not want to hear my side of
the story, and I got arrested," said McPhatter, who described the character as his 3-year-old daughter Mina's favorite.
Middletown police said that 21-year-old Jennie McNelis suffered bruised ribs and a cervical sprain when McPhatter
shoved her to the ground, then kicked her in the head and back.
McPhatter said he asked twice for the character to pose with his daughter, but McNelis "aggressively" put a big blue
paw on his daughter's head and pushed her. McNelis, who is back at work, said she is not permitted to discuss the
incident. Sesame Street spokeswoman Audrey Shapiro confirmed that the incident took place, but called it a rare event.
"Our characters do not act the way this man said," she continued. "It is an honor to be Cookie Monster." McPhatter is
free on $20,000 unsecured bail following the June 9 incident. He said he would fight the charges, which include simple
assault, harassment and disorderly conduct.